Dear Editor:
It=s been said that our memories are all that we really own in life. If that=s so, then Alzheimer=s disease has to rank as one of the worst afflictions that can strike someone.
Social Security joins with other national and community organizations in observing National Alzheimer=s Disease Awareness Month in November. Alzheimer=s is a progressive, degenerative disorder of the brain that robs people of their memory and much of their mental and physical functions. Eventually, it can lead to death.
About four million Americans now suffer from Alzheimer=s disease. The chance of having Alzheimer=s disease rises significantly with age, and as older Americans become a larger percentage of our nation=s population, the number of people expected to develop Alzheimer=s will rise dramatically. It has been estimated that 14 million Americans, mostly seniors, will suffer from Alzheimer=s by the middle of this century.
Those of us at Social Security work with older Americans every day and know how happily most of them look forward to well-earned retirement years. And over the last few decades, as medicine makes even more progress, our seniors= retirement years have been fuller, more productive and longer. Despite this overall improvement in healthcare, Alzheimer=s disease continues to take many of the best and most enjoyable years of life from millions of seniors.
I think all of us have been moved by former President Ronald Reagan=s battle with Alzheimer=s disease, and many of us have relatives or friends who have Alzheimer=.
Slightly more than half of Alzheimer=s disease patients receive care from their family and friends at home. Years of providing for the emotional, physical and financial needs of a loved one with this difficult disease can be emotionally painful and exhausting for a caregiver.
President Bush has called on all Americans to learn more about the disease and to take time to honor and support Alzheimer=s disease patients and their families. I join in urging everyone in our community to do what they can to help combat Alzheimer=s disease, through donations for research, and by helping families and community organizations care for those with the disease.
By doing so we can help those whose future now seems so bleak to at least have hope for tomorrow.
Yvonne Bryant
Social Security Manager, Jersey City